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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN CRCOC 2024/04/02 (2022-2024)Committee on Communications, Reports, and Council Oversight 25"1 Session Hawaii County Building 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, Hawaii April 2, 2024 CALL TO The regular meeting of the Committee on Communications, Reports, and ORDER: Council Oversight was called to order at 3:16 p.m., in the Council Chambers, Hilo, by Ms. Rebecca Villegas, Chair. ROLL CALL: Present: Ms. Rebecca Villegas, Chair Ms. Jean Kagiwada, Vice Chair Ms. Cindy Evans, Member (came in later) Ms. Michelle M. Galimba, Member Mr. Holeka Goro Inaba, Member Mr. Matt Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Member Ms. Heather L. Kimball, Member (came in later) Ms. Susan L. K. Lee Loy, Member Absent & Excused: Ms. Ashley L. Kierkiewicz, Member STATEMENTS The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, FROM THE Statements from the Public on Agenda Items, PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS: The Chair called Su Champeny, who registered to speak in support of Comm. 780, and came forward when called. COMMUNI- The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, CATIONS: Communications. Comm. 780: REQUESTS AN UPDATE FROM `AINAALOHA W. IOANE, PROJECT COORDINATOR FOR THE KELPI IOANE FOUNDATION, REGARDING THE KU`U HOME STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM From Council Member Susan L. K. Lee Loy, dated March 4, 2024. Motion to Close File: Ms. Lee Loy moved to close file on Communication 780. Seconded by Mr. Inaba. CHR. VILLEGAS: At this time, I'll go ahead and pass it over to you, Council Member Lee Loy. CRCOC-25 April 2, 2024 MS. LEE LOY: Thank you, Chair. You know, so lucky to have `Ainaaloha loane here, again. For niy colleagues, I know she's a very familiar face and we've had her here a number of times. She's definitely going to walk out the stewardship program, but what I wanted to highlight for my colleagues is the funding that we've provided, whether it was from Hawaii Tourism Authority or tlurough contingency gives, our Lonoikamakahiki programs down in Keaukaha, `Aina and her team has really done a lot of data collection to really measure the efficacy of our dollars. But more importantly, provide actionable items, whether it's policy work that we have to do and/or better networking with other agencies to really take care of our wahi panas. And it is my hope that the work that `Aina and her team is doing really serves as a model that any one of my Council Members can take advantage of, build off of, hear the concerns that I'm sure are being heard in other communities as it relates to uses of our beach parks, our public spaces and how to balance that. So, with that, it really is my pleasure and honor to turn her presentation over to my good friend, `Ainaaloha Ioane. (Note: At this time, Project Coordinator for the Keli`i loane Foundation, `Ainaaloha loane, cane forward to address the members of the Committee.) MS. IOANE: Aloha mai kakou. Before I begin, I'd like to introduce my daughter, my eldest wahine. I brought her with me today so that she can see, you know, what mommy does and begin to introduce her into what I hope her future may look like. (Note: At this time, Project Coordinator for the Keli`i Ioane Foundation, `Ainaaloha Ioane, came forward and provided a PowerPoint presentation to the members of the Committee. For viewing of the subject presentation, see the DVD copy of the meeting proceedings on file in the Clerk's Office. A copy of the PowerPoint presentation is made a part of the record, see Comm. 780.) MS. LEE LOY: Thank you, `Aina. I'll let my colleagues ask questions, but there's two slides that jump out for me. Of course, all the hard work that `Ainaaloha and Su (Chanipeny) has done to collect all the data to demonstrate, We have a million visitors over the year entering our County -owned beach parks for free, tluowing their trash, flushing our toilets, for free. So, the work that I've been doing with `Aina and Su, especially as it relates to the tourism and the tour buses, we currently already have legislation that prohibits the bus drivers from dropping off at the beach park, but we're having problems with enforcement. That's one area that we know if we put some resources or found a way to communicate better with the tourism companies, right, that we actually have policy in place that prohibits them from doing that. Page 2 CRCOC-25 April 2, 2024 The other thing is a million people. If I had a dollar from a million people, I'd have $1 million to put back into community to help that beach park and some of the other goals that we have. Then finally, the one slide which I call our report card, the County Council's report card and the County's report card, is the community is asking for action and policy work to be done. It's my goal, with `Aina and Su, and they know this, we've constantly tried to craft policy, but it's a tug and pull between resources with the Department of Parks and Recreation, working with R & D (The Department of Research and Development), the overarching Hawaii Tourism Authority, the model of Hanauma Bay and a pilot program. We're thinking of all kinds of ways, but we're going to have to start putting in some solid plans because Su and `Aina have done a lot of work to collect really good data that will drive really good action policy work. So, I always appreciate `Aina being here and I just kind of wanted to put it out there because as she mentioned, she has a cohort that's meeting across the pae `aina (group of islands). So, I really want to share that this isn't just for Keaukaha. There's ways to pick this model up and then put it in other areas of our community. Then maybe as a Council, when we collectively craft a budget or start putting in resources in certain areas, that good community stewardship programs like `Aina, and the Ku`u Home project that they have, will actually begin to accelerate, you know, the placement of those resources. But more importantly, having the policy and the legislative work to back them up. So, thank you, `Aina, for being here. I yield for the rest of my colleagues. CHR. VILLEGAS: Thank you, Council Member Lee Loy. Thank you, `Aina. Any comments from any of my other colleagues? Council Member Kagiwada. MS. KAGIWADA: Thank you. Thank you for being here and bringing all this wealth of your knowledge and the research you've done. Just wondering, are you looking at what they're doing over on Oahu as far as doing something similar here? If so, how do they manage, like as far as a fee or parking or keeping the caring capacity at a certain number? Who actually does that? Is that state? Is that county? Is it privately contracted? MS. IOANE: Aloha. I haven't gone to Hanaurna Bay yet. I think I would like to start my journey in Kauai, in Haena. In our most recent meeting with my other stewards across the pac `aina, we've tried to envision what we would need, In speaking with my friends over at County Parks and Rec, what they told me they need is a policy to enforce. So, what we don't have at any of our parks is designated areas for commercial tours to operate; because there is no designated sign or area, then they use all areas. So, trying to lomi lomi it, because community is not going to respond very well if a parking they used to have is now a designated commercial tour parking spot. But my hope, through Page 3 CRCOC-25 April 2, 2024 communicating with community, is if we designate two or three, then that's the only two or three. If I don't designate any then it becomes a gray area, which is what we're dealing with now, we're dealing with a gray area. MS. KAGIWADA: Right. MS. IOANE: So, that is what I envision trying to start with something like that, designated parking area with enforcement to help manage the designated parking area that leads into some form of reprimand if there's continued abuse of not using the designated parking area MS. KAGIWADA: Okay. Alright. Yeah, I think we've done it at other places on our island. I feel like maybe up at Akaka Falls and stuff, like there's a pay parking and you just have like a community member kind of person standing there kind of helping people like, oh, okay, and if you are kama`dina, you show your card and they let you through or whatever. So, it's something like that. Because it's so open and you know, I just try to envision what it could look like without having to build a lot or doing something like that. MS. IOANE: It is a little bit more difficult in Keaukaha because it is open. It's not —you know, Wai'ulu's parking lot does have a gate but everyone parks everywhere else and so too does the commercial buses. MS. KAGIWADA: Yes. MS. IOANE: But I think starting —that's why the data that shows commercial bus activity versus FIT (Free and Individual Tourist) or other ways of getting in there of tourism. I think we have to create and look at the two of them separately because commercial tourism, I think, will need its own policies to help manage it. MS. KAGIWADA: Yeah, okay. Alright. Well, thank you for what you're doing and yeah, hopefully, you all are going to have some policies corning through and we can look forward to supporting this. MS. IOANE: Thank you. Aloha. CHR. VILLEGAS: Thank you, Council Member Kagiwada. Council Member Kimball, MS. KIMBALL: Thank you, and thank you, again, for being here and for your presentation. I just wanted to mention, I wanted to share with both you and Council Member Lee Loy. We did a pretty deep dive into some legal aspects around caring capacity and how to manage with respect to Waipi`o, and that's another group of folks that I'd like to have you be talking to. But, in the examples that Council Member Kagiwada mentioned, state-owned properties and projects, Page 4 CRCOC-25 April 2, 2024 when we get to the point of managing caring capacity and county, our hands are tied a little bit. Parking lots, yes, roads not so much. So, I think there's multiple levels of legislation we might need to put together to support what sort of management plan you're looking for, and I think that they're broadly applicable across the county. So, I don't want to go into too much detail about it right now, but I'd like to have further conversation with you folks about some of the barriers that we've come up against with respect to that particular situation that I think, just on the surface, are applicable to this area as well. Thank you. I yield, Chair. CHR. VILLEGAS: Thank you, Council Member Kimball. Council Member Inaba. MR. INABA: Aloha. In light of some of the funding ending with the extension and all of that, world you be able to provide us kind of —and you might have before already, but provide us with the expenditures that you've incurred so far and what you anticipate the future costs would be? I assume it's in the Waiwai application, but just so we could have that as a standalone document. MS. IOANE: I'll send it to Council Member Lee Loy. MR. INABA: Okay, mahalo. MS.IOANE: Mahalo. MS. KIMBALL: Can I actually interject at something on that real quickly before we move on? CHR. VILLEGAS: Sure. MS. KIMBALL: I just want to be cautious about the appearance of giving special treatment to one applicant to Waiwai that we're not giving to other applicants. So, just maybe consult with —yeah, we don't want to jeopardize your chances, maybe consult with Corporation Counsel before asking for additional financials just because there might be a conflict there. CHR. VILLEGAS: Yes, Council Member Inaba. MR. INABA: Understood. I'll take back that request then. If something appears it appears. CHR. VILLEGAS: Thank you. Council Member Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder. MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: Thank you. Good job. I like what you're doing. I like where you're headed. I think my only comment is watching this progress, this is very specific to Keaukaha and two of our beach parks, if not Page 5 CRCOC-25 April 2, 2024 maybe a handful of our beach parks on this side of the island. All of our parks are open to the public; all of our parks struggle for funding. Every area of our island, from every department that I bear, struggles for funding. So, I'm being very careful and making sure that we don't prioritize one area. I love this area; I love Kcaukaha; I love going there with nay `ohana; I love going holoholo, it's just probably one the brightest points in my life is just having to be able to be there and enjoy the space. But I cannot, in good conscience, say nothing else —there's going to be a priority above everything else. So, as you work this project and you progress, please ensure that we are encompassing every single beach park and that policy that is going to be effected needs to be able to touch every single park and every single area where we have inundation by visitors because what I'm seeing Mere is we have an affect of the tourist industry on our locals. We all want to enjoy our spaces. During COVID (Coronavirus disease), what was probably the highlight of everyone's life. I had one friend who sent me a video of Waikiki and there was nobody there. He said he hasn't seen it like that since the 60s. So, we have an appreciation for that and it was clear. It was evident how nice it is to be able to walk our beaches when no one else is here, and it's gorgeous, and the impact on the ecology, on the flora and the fauna was absolutely evident. Where you're headed, where I'm seeing you're headed is beautiful, I like it, but I want to make sure we're addressing everything. So, please work to that end. I support what you're doing. In my head, I made the comiections to see where you're headed and I like it, but please make sure that it touches every single one of our beach parks, because I talked to Parks and Rec, "Matt, I'd love to but I don't Have money." What I'm seeing right here is very focused funding resource allocation. I know our beach parks in Kona need money. I've got parks in — Buddy Perry Field needs money. So, finding that point in tying the money into what the people are wanting to make sure residents have good lives, and making sure it's fair, that's the beauty. That's the hard point of being where we are. I love what you're doing, keep up the good work. Your have a great team, good job bringing your daughter in so that she can see the process, good job being here. Mahalo. Thank you. CHR. VILLEGAS; Thank you, Mr. Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder. If no one else has anything to say, I'll just wrap this up real quick. Thank you for being here, you are a bright light and beacon of intelligence and ingenuity and really excellence. You should be very proud of your mom, she's doing an excellent job. Having talked to a number of different people that work in the Park and Rec capacity on the Kona side, it's always mind boggling to me once they start writing down the data of how many people actually use these spaces and then it makes a lot more sense of wiry they're so overwhelmed, overran, and why they need so Page 6 CRCOC-25 April 2, 2024 much perpetual upkeep. Something that we did do at Kohanaiki when that beach park was being created was make sure that there would never be commercial activity in the County park. I don't know how or if that could be utilized at Keaukaha after this is historical, but tours are considered commercial activity. So, how do you navigate those things, you know, we're dealing with those in a lot of different areas. But I'm really excited for the data that you're gathering because it gives strength to the claims that you are at capacity and I think capacity is a word very relevant right now for our island. How much can we withstand and if we feel it as humans, how much more so our ecosystems feel it? So, it's okay to be at capacity, nature knows that. We as humans tend to continue to try to extract every last little bit to our own demise. So, thank you for continuing to guide these efforts and for working with so many organizations across the state. I'n-1 so impressed and excited in how far we've come in the last couple of decades for priorities and validation and uplifting our communities and allowing them to explore best practices for regenerative enjoyment of our resources. So, with that, I wanted to say I yield, but I'm the Chair. So, with that, all those in favor of closing file on Communication 780, please say "aye." Vote on Comm. 780 The motion to close file on Comm. 780 was carried by the Filed following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Evans, Galimba, Inaba, Kagiwada, Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Lee Loy, and Chair Villegas -- 7. Noes: None. Absent: Committee Members Kierkiewicz, and Kimball — 2. Excused. None. ADJOURN- There being no further business, Chair Villegas adjourned the meeting at 4:00 p,rn. MENT: Approved: Ms. Rebecca Villegas, Chair (Date) Communications, Reports, and Council Oversight Committee RV/jm Page 7